The new Writing for Television Program at Morgan State University (suggested by Warner Brothers at a summer seminar) has added new courses each semester: (1) basic 200-level courses in the "Fundamentals of Writing for Television" and "Introductory Script Writing"; (2) more specialized 300-level courses in "Episodic Comedy" and the "One Hour Drama"; and (3) 400-level courses in "Advanced Scriptwriting" and an "Internship in Writing for Television." Essentially each course acts as a logical step in learning the craft of scriptwriting. The first fundamentals course emphasizes the development of dramatic structure, character, dialogue, and script format, thus preparing the beginning writer for more advanced individual and collaborative work. The beginners spend a good bit of time analyzing stories, plays, films, and teleplays to identify the classic dramatic elements from the standpoint of the writer. The fun begins when they rewrite key scenes from television shows. Moving like the wind, the second course concentrates on writing the logline (one sentence summary of the show), orally pitching the story, working out the show's basic structure, outlining the dramatic story, and actually writing the script. Courses at the 300-level concentrate on comic theory, evaluation (of sitcoms and other television shows), and writing. The 400-level course studies film scripts, adaptations of literary works, docudramas, and television movies. (TB)

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